Most of the advance news on Hurricane Sandy has focused on keeping your home and your family safe, and that's as it should be. Once the storm hits and the power goes out and the schools close, though, parents are going to have another disaster on their hands: the cyclone of boredom from kids with no screens to stare at, no outdoor play to safely pursue, nowhere to go, and nothing to do. To your disaster-preparedness kit, add a printout of my article "Fun 911: Emergency Parent-Powered Playthings," which offers some easy, from-the-pantry projects for kids to do, for all those hours after the computers go dark and the DVD player stalls and the iPod and iPad batteries run out. They're low-tech, but fun.
For more hurricane help, check my listing of resources for special-needs disaster preparedness. And if there's no massive storm barreling down on your personal hometown? Read my article "Fall Behind," on the ways the upcoming time change (this Sunday), weather changes, and holidays are going to mess with your kid, and join us in a general sense of dread, won't you?